Second Impressions
by Serenitatis Cove
Summary: Ever wonder what everyone's initial thoughts were when Snively moved to Knothole? (Takes place between "Snively's Second Chance" and "Sam's Secret")


Snively stood in his hut, watching out the window. It was his second day in Knothole and he didn't dare leave his hut. He didn't owe the rodents anything. He was only there long enough for Sam to get things settled at her apartment so that he may move in. He watched as citizens glared over at his hut in scorn.

He sighed. Even when he was free from Robotnik's grasp, his uncle's reach was still present. He turned back towards his living area. He only had a couch and a coffee table in the room. Sam was supposed to bring him some books to keep him entertained. Of course, she was taking her sweet time in doing so. She asked him if he would at least try to make friends with someone. He promptly refused. There was no way he was going to make nice with people he'd fought against for over a decade.

He sat down on the couch as a pinkish black portal opened in his kitchen. He heard a thud as Sam made her arrival. He started to get up but stopped when he heard her mutter that she was fine. Sam came into the room and sat beside him, a smile on her face. He eyed her in suspicion.

"What's with that look?" he asked.

"I'm just happy." Sam crossed her leg over his lap. "So…have you made any friends yet?"

Snively grimaced. "Not exactly."

"Have you even tried?"

"…No."

"Snively, please just try. I know you'll be happy here if you just make an effort," Sam said. He frowned.

"Exactly how long will I be here?" Snively asked. Sam averted her eyes.

"I'm not sure. I actually thought about moving here with you…if that's okay."

"You want to move to Knothole? People are bound to turn on me at any moment. What makes you think they'll stop at me?"

"Because they're good people. They didn't have to let you stay here, but they did."

"For a short time. You know they don't trust me. They won't trust me." Sam took his hands.

"They will. Just give them time."

Sonic stomped around Knothole in anger. How could Sal let an overlander into Knothole? One that'd roboticized thousands of innocent people? His Uncle Chuck even. Sure, Sam was past cool, but Slimely? He was scum. He deserved to be with his uncle. Sonic saw Snively and Sam come out of Snively's hut. They were holding hands as Sam was speaking. Snively laughed at what she said. Sonic frowned.

"Bogus."

"What is?" Sonic turned to see Sally. She brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Slimely."

"Sonic, we have to try to work with him. He knows more about Robotnik than Robotnik himself," Sally said.

"Sal, he's slime. He's gonna rat us out to 'Buttnik. And he's gonna use Sam."

"You don't know that. He seems….different."

"It's his second day. He's gonna seem different. He's trying to get us to trust him."

"Give it time, Sonic. Who knows? Maybe you'll be his best man if he and Sam decide to get married or something," Sally teased.

"Yeah, right," Sonic scoffed, exaggerating vomit noises.

Tails watched Snively in curiosity from his tree post. He knew Sonic was angry at the overlander being there. He worked for Robotnik, so he had to be slime, right? Sonic said so and Sonic was usually right. Sam looked up in his direction and waved. Tails waved back enthusiastically. He didn't know what it was about her, but he liked her.

He noticed Snively pause for a moment before Sam nudged him. The small man slowly lifted his arm and waved quickly. Tails was taken aback by this gesture. Confused, the child waved back. The couple walked away, the woman talking animatedly.

Maybe he wasn't all that bad. After all, he did wave. Tails tended to trust people who waved. It was just his mannerism.

Sally set a pasta dish on her table as Sonic sulked. She'd invited Snively and Sam over for dinner. As a princess, she felt it was her duty to be the first to make peace with a former traitor of Mobius. Sonic felt no such thing.

"Sal, we can still get out of this. Just send him back to ol' Buttnik where he belongs," Sonic mumbled.

"Sonic, if you don't want to be a part of this, then leave. We have to try to make amends."

"No way!" There was a knock on the door. Sally gave Sonic a look before answering the door. Sam came sashaying in before Snively came in quietly. Sonic eyed the overlander in suspicion as the two humans sat down. Snively shifted uncomfortably. Sonic snorted. Sam got up to help Sally set the table. Carefully, Snively leaned towards Sonic.

"Maybe we can still get out of here while they're distracted," Snively whispered. Sonic looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"Look, I know you don't want to be here and I really don't want to be here either. Sam all but begged me to come. We can say we're going for a walk or something so we don't have to listen to them drone on," Snively explained quietly. He licked his lips nervously. "You know it's going to be dull."

That was for sure! Sonic didn't really enjoy the meetings Sally held. "Hey, we're gonna get the ring."

"Now?" Sally asked. Sam looked up in curiosity at Snively. It was like asking if he was alright with the suggestion.

"Yeah. It's getting ready to come up," Sonic replied nonchalantly.

"Just hurry back. I don't want the food to get cold," Sally said. She went back to talking to Sam. Snively and Sonic got up and went outside. They began heading towards the ring pool. Sonic kicked at a rock.

"You don't have to keep walking with me. I was just going to go back to my hut," Snively said simply.

"I really do have to get the power ring," Sonic answered.

"Oh, okay." They continued on in silence. "I wasn't really given much of a choice in the coup."

Sonic looked up in surprise. "What?"

"Robotnik…He likes being dramatic. He said, 'kill or be killed.' Obviously, I didn't want to die at fourteen," Snively said.

"So you roboticized all those people? To cover your own hide?" Sonic snapped.

"What would you do, then, hm?"

"I'd…I'd try to help them," the hedgehog replied.

"Sonic, everyone has a dark side. Some are just not as willing to connect to it as others are." There was a pause. "I envy those people. They really are the powerful ones."

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked, now curious.

"I stayed with my uncle during the coup because he promised me power. I was teased as a child because of my stature and my intellect, so I wanted justification. I was wrong…so wrong." Sonic looked over at the small man. The human looked so much smaller than ever before….like he was actually sorry for what he had done.

"Are you sorry for what you did?" Sonic asked as they reached the ring pool.

"Honestly, no, I don't believe so…but for different reasons than you think. I liked the power. I felt like I deserved it after being ridiculed for so long."

"You still shouldn't have done it," Sonic muttered.

"No, I shouldn't have," Snively agreed. "Power and anger…it warps your thoughts. I envy people like you, Sonic."

"Say whaaa?" Snively nodded at the hedgehog's outburst.

"It's true. You have so much control over yourself. So much confidence. I could only dream of that when I was your age." The water glowed a golden color and a power ring slowly erupted from the pool. Sonic caught the ring. The two began walking back to Knothole, silence settling.

Sonic cleared his throat. "You're not at all what I thought you'd be like."

Snively smiled faintly. "You can't believe everything you hear."

"Am I what you thought I'd be?"

"Does it matter?"

"No…"

"Then no. You're more thoughtful than I assumed."

"That's it? I'm not past cool or…or suave?"

"That's it," Snively chuckled. By then, they'd reach Sally's hut. They went inside, finding Sam had already begun eating. Snively shook his head as he smiled. By the time Snively and Sam left, Sonic made up his mind. The hedgehog was begrudgingly helping the princess with dishes, his mind on autopilot.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sally said.

"What?"

"You're so quiet tonight. What happened at the ring pool?"

"Nothing. We just talked."

"Oh? And?"

"Slimely's not so bad I guess…he's just not way past cool like me." Sally groaned, but she'd gotten what she wanted out of the night; things were beginning to change.


End file.
